Bowling ball



United States Patent Gtitice 3,@39J74 Patented .lune 19, 19%2 3,639,774 BWJING BALL Stephen G. Get-inch, 723 E. Providence St., Burbank, Caiif. Filed Feb. 1S?, 1%0, Ser. No. 9,855 l Clmzn. (Cl. 273-63) This invention relates to bowling balls and more particularly to improvements therein relating to the thumb and finger holes thereof.

An object of the invention is to replace, in part at least, the weight of the material removed from the ball incident to the formation of the said thumb and ynger holes.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjustably limiting the depth of such holes to achieve a comfortable grip by the owner of the ball.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described by way of example, in the following specification of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of a bowling ball showing the thumb and finger holes in which the present invention is incorporated,

TIG. 2 is a fragmentary, similar view but showing the said thumb and 'finger holes as initially formed in the ball and before `the completion thereof,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2 and showing the thumb hole as initially formed and lled with lead or equivalent metal to replace the -weight of the material formed in the finished formation of the thumb hole,

FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. 3 being taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. l and showing the completed thumb hole,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line `5 5 of FIG. 2 showing the initial formation of one of the finger holes in the ball,

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIG. 5 taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. l and showing the finish or completion of the formation of the finger hole, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the screw threaded depth limiting means shown in FIGS. l and 6.

In the following description of the invention, it will he noted that the two forms of the invention are described as relating, one to the thumb hole and the other to the iinger holes of the ball, but it will be appreciated that either form of the invention may be used for all or any of the other holes in the ball with which it is not shown, if desired. In other words, the two forms of the invention are to be regarded as being completely interchangeable for any one of the thumb or finger holes of the bowling ball.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. l, 3, and 4, thereof, there is shown a bowling ball 1 having iinger holes l2, 2, and a thumb hole 3 formed therein. The thumb hole is formed by rst drilling a hole 5 somewhat smaller than the actual size of the portion entered by the thumb said hole going nearly to the center of the ball. This hole is illed with a quantity of lead indicated at 6 to an extent which is somewhat greater than the depth required to receive the thumb of the user. The hole is then counterbored to the proper size to accommodate the thumb of the user as at 7 and this counterbore takes with it a portion of the lead lling 6. By this means, the lead being heavier than the material removed from the ball, at least most of the weight of the material removed from the ball pertains.

in the formation of the thumb hole 7 is replaced with the result that the ball is, so far as this hole is concerned, restored nearly to a truly balanced condition.

Referring next to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, another means is shown for achieving a similar result. In this form of the invention, the finger hole 2 is drilled considerably deeper than is necessary to accommodate the fingers of the user and terminates in a threaded portion 8 extending therebeyond. A screw 9 threadedly engages the portion 8 and the head lt) of this screw is surrounded by a lead weight portion `lil which closely tits the bore i2. The head lil of the screw can have any desired type of driver engaging means, the illustrated embodiment employing a hexagonal Allen type of screw head. 'The lead weight portion ll, can, of course, be of any desired length so long as it will not bottom in the hole 2 at a point at which the hole is of insufcient depth for the linger of the user. The screw 7 is adjusted along the hole i8 by its threaded engagement until it forms a bottom for the hole 2. at a point which is comfortable for the user.

As in the case of the iirst described embodiment of the invention, the result of this structure is that at least a portion of the weight which has been removed from the ball in the formation of the finger hole has been replaced by a smaller mass of heavier material with the result that the ball is maintained at nearly its initial balanced condition. The nearer a bowling ball is maintained in a balanced condition the more readily it can be consistently controlled both by the amateur and the professional bowler.

While, in the foregoing specication, there has been disclosed certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that in the light of such disclosures changes and modifications may suggest themselves to others skilled in the art Ito which the invention ap- Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact embodiments thus disclosed by way of example and that the invention includes yas well, all such changes and modiications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a bowling ball having a thumb hole and iat least one linger hole, the improvement which comprises the provision of a mass of material of greater specic gravity than the bowling ball material disposed substantially in the axial line of one of said holes and inwardly from the outer surface of the bowling ball; said mass being resultantly effective to replace, in part at least, the weight of the bowling ball material removed bythe formation of said one of said holes with consequent reduction of the unbalanced condition of said bowling ball deriving from the said formation of said one of said holes, said one of said holes terminating in an internally threaded portion axially alligned with said hole, and means engaging said internally threaded portion and carrying said mass of material of greater specific gravity effective by adjustment axially of said hole to employ the outer end of said mass to vary the eifective depth of said one of said holes, said threaded portion of said hole being of smaller diameter than said hole and said mass of material of greater speciiic gravity comprising a screw having a body engaging said threaded portion of said hole and having a head carrying an axially disposed cylindrical mass of lead disposed in and closely fitting said hole and rotatable with said screw to additionally form an adjustable stop to determine the eiective depth of said hole.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 746,576 Rice Dec. s, 1903 

